Ever since the 3DS was announced, I've been skeptical. I've second guessed it at every turn, I've mocked the selection of games, and even when I complimented it, my compliments were still more hate than love. I'd go into Gamestop and try one every now and again, and no matter what game was in, the system never seemed to click with me. I'll admit that part of the reason I thought like this was because I didn't have a job. I had to persuade myself that games simply weren't worth it because I had no way to get them. When it came to a whole new system, there was no way I'd be getting one.

Well, back in, what, February now? Whenever Fire Emblem: Awakening (that's the name of the 3DS game, right?) came out in the US. At that point, my roommate had just learned that the 3DS bundle was coming out. It was still a couple weeks before release, so he pre-ordered the bundle at our nearest Gamestop, and he picked it up when they finally got the shipment (a few days late, I might add). He picked it up, and I was surprised at how small the box was. I remembered when I got my DS phat, the box was probably about three times as big. Once I got past that, I witnessed the brilliant blue of the system. If you haven't seen the Fire Emblem 3DS, I encourage you to check it out. Even if you don't appreciate the design, you have to love that rich blue color.

In that same month, I got a job and started making money. A 3DS wasn't top priority by any means, but I had it in the back of my mind at that point. A couple months went by, and I admired the 3DS but since Fire Emblem doesn't really interest me as a series, I didn't bother asking if I could play it. My roommate clocked about 20 hours on the game before he set down the system and didn't pick it back up for over a month. This lead up to the beginning of April. He was wondering what he was going to do with it since he didn't feel like playing it anymore, so I offered $80 on the spot. To my delight, he agreed right away.

To be entirely fair, we had accidentally erased Fire Emblem from the SD card (don't ask), so the 3DS was essentially useless to him. Even if by chance the game can be redownloaded, the internet at this university doesn't work with the 3DS (the log in system for the wifi is a bit beyond what the 3DS is capable of). That didn't change the fact that $80 for a very gently used, limited edition 3DS is one hell of a deal.

This Monday, I picked up my paycheck which was about $400 (that's a fair amount at this job considering I only work 6 hours a week - most of that was from working 25 hours over spring break). I made the mistake of depositing the check via an ATM, so I only got $200 of it (approximately) up front. I had paid a debt or two for my roommate though from the remains of my prior paycheck and only ended up having to give him $65 in cash. With 3DS in hand, I ran into another dilemma: I HAD NO GAEMS!

A trip to Gamestop yielded nothing. The ridiculously small 3DS section had absolutely no notable games in it. Pretty much all third party junk or a million download codes of Paper Mario: Sticker Star sold as a box labeled DLC for the full game download. After that, I tried the Target right next door, and although they had a couple deals going on, not so surprisingly, their worthwhile 3DS game stock was very low. Finally, I ended up at Wal-Mart where I found a copy of LoZ: OoT 3D for $40, and a copy of KH: 3D for $30. I picked up both of those, and today, I ordered Tales of the Abyss off of Amazon for $25 or $30 (I think $25).

I started LoZ and OH MY GAWD I TAKE BACK EVERYTHING I EVER SAID ABOUT IT BEING A POINTLESS REMAKE IT IS SO WELL DONE. I can see why people want a Majora's Mask remake done as well as that now. I made it through Dodongo's Cavern before I remember, I never had played KH: 3D previously. I started that up a little while ago and holy mother of new shit overload. I know I'll get used to it, but within the first 40 minutes, they've pretty much changed everything about the KH fighting system except that you still swing a keyblade. That isn't to say I think I won't enjoy the game. The flowmotion seems pretty cool, though hard to utilize without bouncing all over the place at first.

With all that said, let this be my formal apology. The 3DS may not be perfect, but it is a great handheld. I'm very excited for Animal Crossing in the June, Tales by no later than next week, and even potentially Pokemon in the fall. There are still a few games I'd like to get, but I'll have to take it slow (nearly $100 on three games? my wallet hurts).

Haha, woops. I was gone for awhile and never even noticed it came back (the loss of my laptop sort of ended my visits here until I got this one at the beginning of April). Oh well. It can always be moved into where ever it needs to go.

I think being a pirate for so long has spoiled me way too much. When I think about it, $100 for three games really isn't that much these days when it comes to physical games and, you know, not Steam. Then again, a quarter of my paycheck on only three items isn't something I'm used to either.

I'm personally not touching the system at the moment due to the 3D effect causing me eye issues, and I find it harder to justify buying one at the current RRP / Used Price if I have to always play with a feature disabled :/ that and not much in the line up interests me right now

So true about the FE:A 3DS. Such a pretty blue color. Glad I picked that version up instead of a meh XL.

But yeah, glad you're likin' your 3DS. Maybe you'll enjoy it more once it gets even more games. But I guess time will tell for that. Heck. Nintendo direct at 7 AM (Eastern) tomorrow. So more games will probably be announced.

And because I'm a lazy bastard, I'll just edit instead of posting again on the 3D subject.

I like to barely push my slider up. Maybe at 1/5th of max. It's a comfortable 3D effect and it doesn't make me feel like I'm going cross eyed.

I'm personally not touching the system at the moment due to the 3D effect causing me eye issues, and I find it harder to justify buying one at the current RRP / Used Price if I have to always play with a feature disabled :/ that and not much in the line up interests me right now

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I played with 3D on for maybe 10 minutes total so far. It isn't that I don't like it; it's just that the 3D comes really close to giving me full on motion sickness. It's not as bad as what a couple of games have done to me in the past (like a Monkeyball game I played on the Gamecube), but I'm definitely not used to the depth granted by 3D yet. That, and I tend to look away from the screen a lot for other things. Refocusing tends to make me a touch sick feeling when I do it multiple times within a short period of time.

Regardless, I wouldn't worry so much about not being able to utilize 3D. I'd worry more about the game selection. Even when I get used to it, I see myself using 3D very little, for the sake of battery life if nothing else.

I played with 3D on for maybe 10 minutes total so far. It isn't that I don't like it; it's just that the 3D comes really close to giving me full on motion sickness. It's not as bad as what a couple of games have done to me in the past (like a Monkeyball game I played on the Gamecube), but I'm definitely not used to the depth granted by 3D yet. That, and I tend to look away from the screen a lot for other things. Refocusing tends to make me a touch sick feeling when I do it multiple times within a short period of time.

Regardless, I wouldn't worry so much about not being able to utilize 3D. I'd worry more about the game selection. Even when I get used to it, I see myself using 3D very little, for the sake of battery life if nothing else.

I'm personally not touching the system at the moment due to the 3D effect causing me eye issues, and I find it harder to justify buying one at the current RRP / Used Price if I have to always play with a feature disabled :/ that and not much in the line up interests me right now

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Having the 3D feature disabled feels the same as keeping it turned on. It really doesn't change your experience and I'm guessing the only people who play in 3D are the people who enjoy playing in 3D. As for the game selection on the other hand I understand what you mean. The only 3DS game I actually have is MK7 because nothing else interests me besides Kingdom Hearts but after seeing Nintendo Direct today I'm very excited for this year's selection of games.

Having the 3D feature disabled feels the same as keeping it turned on. It really doesn't change your experience and I'm guessing the only people who play in 3D are the people who enjoy playing in 3D. As for the game selection on the other hand I understand what you mean. The only 3DS game I actually have is MK7 because nothing else interests me besides Kingdom Hearts but after seeing Nintendo Direct today I'm very excited for this year's selection of games.

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For Samurai Warriors Chronicles, turning on 3D during pre-battle conversations & post-battle conversations actually cause a noticeable frame-rate drop, so I turn it off then. On a whole, though, I really don't use the 3D feature unless it is a cutscene or something of the sort.

You reeeeally have to find a copy of Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon and Resident Evil Revelations. RE should be really cheap. Both are fantastic games.

Monster Hunter too if you want a game that just keeps on giving and giving and giving. Might be hard at first, but a couple hours in and you'll start to see why everybody loves Monster Hunter.

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I'd get Monster Hunter, but I doubt I'd enjoy it without the second analog (that was my primary problem with playing Monster Hunter on the PSP), and the Circle Pad Pro costs a ridiculous amount of money for an otherwise fairly useless peripheral. Then again, the 3DS has a far better analog stick than the PSP, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad. That's pretty much been my on going personal debate in whether or not I should bother picking it up. Risking $40 on something I may end up hating is a difficult thing to do on a limited budget. It's why I'm playing it pretty safe right now, and only picking up games I know I'll like.

On the flip side of that, I couldn't find RE when I was out picking up games, though Amazon is a pretty good route for that (and I can get it for around $15 I believe). Luigi's Mansion wasn't anywhere to be found though. It was on a demo unit in Gamestop, but no copies. There was a big cardboard cutout thing over the 3DS systems at Walmart advertising it, but it was all gone. Target was just kind of Target. You can't really walk in there expecting to find a decent game selection. I tried out the game at Gamestop, and it's definitely something I'd like to pick up.

Then again, another roadblock: I want to buy Animal Crossing in June and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D (or w/e it's called) next month. My hours at work are just becoming sad, and I don't know if I'll be able to get a summer job anywhere (as I'm guaranteed my job here once I come back to school at the end of August). If I want to have money to do things this summer, I've gotta hold back on buying too many games, since I don't see myself making more than $150 on my next paycheck.

Wait until Bravely Default is becomes available over there in Amerika in 2014.

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I would be more excited about that if it didn't resemble a DS game so much. That, and reading about it, it seems like a Frankenstein FF game, taking the job system from FF5 and the art style of the fairly lacking Four Heroes of Light and trying to put together something fun. It looks like, once again, safe has been chosen over actually trying to push what the 3DS is capable of. I guess I'm just skeptical of Square Enix RPG's anymore. They fuck up far more than they do good.